A decadent oatmeal stout. Velvet Merlin offers robust cocoa and espresso aromas with subtle American hop nuances. Rich dark chocolate and roasted coffee flavor with a creamy mouth feel and wonderfully dry finish create the perfect balance in this full-bodied stout. Ideal for sipping in the winter months or at the end of a meal.

Original name was "Velvet Merkin", but name was changed when it began to be bottled in 2010.

Not too much going on in the nose. Smells roasty and appropriately like an oatmeal stout, with an excess of modesty.

The taste is superior to the nose, with big roast and creamy stout flavor. Really tasty beer that is one of the better oatmeal stouts I have had.

Medium body, good carbonation. Appropriate for the ABV (I have to remind myself not to compare this area to imperial stouts).

This beer is very drinkable. There is none of the residual bitterness or dryness from the hops/dark cocoa flavors that sometimes appear in stouts that makes a beer less drinkable to me. I could put down several of these without getting sick of it. (691 characters)

I've never been the biggest fan of Firestone Walker but picked up a sixer at BevMo when the store clerk said it was one of her favorites.

I typically like stronger stouts but must admit I really like this ale, its extremely smooth and but the flavor and aroma are dominated by roasted coffee and light caramel notes. It would be nice if it were a little stronger and provided a more warmth on the back end. (407 characters)

Purchased at BevMo! a week before Christmas; $7 for a sick pack (what a steal).

A: Pours an opaque, black with a nice frothy layer of tan foam. Not much lacing around the glass as you drink. When held up to a light, carbonation looks good. Looks inviting, if perhaps a little bit light as far as body goes.

S: As advertised, the roasted coffee comes through prominently. Also prominent are roasted malts, chocolate and some cloying caramel. The aroma suggests this beer will be very malty with some underlying sweetness and perhaps some astringency.

T: Wow, this one is truly roasted, almost overpoweringly so. Roasted malts and roasted coffee dominate the flavor; hops are rather subdued, almost indistinguishable. Not much of the cloying sweetness that was detected in the aroma was present, but it is there right after the initial roasts hit the tongue, and right before the lingering barbecue flavor. A tad bit astringent, which I guess is to be expected from a highly prominent coffee presence. Oatmeal is strangely absent as well.

M: For an oatmeal stout, I would consider this medium bodied. I was hoping it would be a bit more on the creamy side, maybe even with some chewiness. Carbonation levels are perfect and it does have body, just expected it to be a bit thicker.

D: Overall this is a pleasant beer and I have absolutely no complaints for the price tag. This is a solid stout that's simplicity and body make it very easy to drink. That said, I think this brew was a little overly roasted for me which made it seem a bit imbalanced. It also had almost no detectable oatmeal flavors, was a bit astringent due to the coffee and was not as creamy as I expected. There are much better oatmeal stouts out there, but this one definitely was on the above average side. I wouldn't hesitate to drink it again, but I probably wouldn't seek it out. (1,856 characters)

S: Dark roasted malt displays a dominating coffee smell initially, but does not change or develop into anything more interesting as the beer warms.

T: Begins off-dry, with milk chocolate, roasted grain, and slight dark fruit (plums and dates). Graininess persists in the middle as other flavors fade and generally dry out. The finish features strong coffee grounds, mild bitterness, and a mineral snap.

M: Thin to medium viscosity, slick on the palate, with low carbonation.

D: A fine oatmeal stout, neither challenging nor boring. Despite the one-note smell of coffee, the flavor manages to surprise and impress by being more multi-layered. A nod to Firestone-Walker for packaging this beer in 6-packs; there are few California stouts from anywhere south of the Bay Area being marketed in that format. (954 characters)

Bottle courtesy of Kevin - Thanks! poured into a NB globe, black liquid with a tan head that quickly fades to a bubbly cap. Smells of dark roasted malts, some coffee, and spicy hops. Taste is very malty and a bit smokey from the roast. Hop flavor to start that fades into a nice balance of hops and roast finish. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation. Not as silky as most oatmeal stouts but a good beer regardless. (417 characters)

Velvet Merlin has a pleasant aroma. Roasted malt, oats, coffee and chocolate all make an appearance.

The taste is very similar. All the above are present, but I also detect some vanilla, which I couldn't initially pick out in the smell. It's not sweet, but from what I understand this was the brewer's intention.

The body is a little on the thin side, but no complaints here. It's smooth, creamy and at 5.5% it went down without a hitch.

Overall, this is a solid offering from Firestone. If anyone is on the lookout for a well-crafted oatmeal stout, give this a try - you will not be disappointed. ~ (708 characters)

Poured a very dark brown, with a little bit of tan foam and some lace on the side of the glass.The smell of roasted malts and an aroma of chocolate coffee filled the nose with a pleasant soft aroma. The taste of this Oatmeal Stout was just what the smell and aroma was, but, without the usual bitterness of a stout. Nice balance of malts and all components involved. Soft, with a nice bitter/sweet finish on the palate. (420 characters)

Dark brown with a medium tan frothy and a bit foamy head with good retention but not much lacing as it slinks down the side of the glass. Smoky, peaty aroma. Chocolate, peat, and smoked malts wna sweet balance with a light bittersweet lactose linger. Silky mouthfeel yet chewy and anormally a velvet coating.

So smooth it goes down way too easy but if you hold on for a moment you're rewarded with a good amount of flavor. I don't know, is a Velvet Merlin like a Velvet Elvis? (477 characters)

12 oz bottle in a tulip. Pours dark brown, with a deluge of tiny bubbles along the edges and a beige ring and spotty surface bubbles.

Molasses and coffee on the nose. Not nearly as pronounced as I'd hoped. In fact, it's lacking much complexity and for the style is a tad weak. There is a weird cooked plastic smell that ain't too groovy.

Taste and mouthfeel veer towards watery. Oats don't vibe with the beer well, leaving more of a coffee dark ale than a rich, roasty, full bodied oatmeal stout which I am after. A richer, more velvety mouthfeel and dialing down the carbonation might pick this beer up a notch. Crank up the oatmeal here!

Kind of a bummer. Granted I haven't had an inordinate amount of Firestone, but this is not up to the standard I expected from a great brewery. Plenty of other oatmeal stouts in the sea. (896 characters)

They shoulda kept it Merkin. Why not? Regardless, it pours a straight onyx topped by a finger of rather light ecru foam. The nose comprises smooth chocolate, roasted malts, molasses, and toasted oats. The taste focuses on the roasty and toasty notes, much to the benefit of all involved. (Side note: The racism involved in certain episodes of Peabody and Sherman is priceless. Here is all the proof you'll need that the children of that era grew up dumb as brix.) The body is a strong medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a smooth and nearly chewy feel. Overall, a quaff good enough to present to White's version of the titular soothsayer. Zounds! (741 characters)

This beer pours a nice darkness with a beige head. The smell has some dark chocolate and roast coffee notes. The taste has the dark chocolate note to it mostly, but has some light fruity aftertaste. It's a pretty pleasant beer to drink, but I think velvet is a strong term for the mouthfeel. It's not bad, but it's not overall impressive. I don't think that I would ever have a problem having this if it were given to me. (480 characters)

A modest and thin but lasting head of dirty white foam, sitting on top of an extremely dark liquid which is either super-dark brown or a lighter shade of black.

Subtle but welcoming aroma is very much par for the style, being grainy, earthy, toasted, a bit vinous and faint hints of cocoa nibs.

There's something quite wonderful about the taste of Velvet Merlin (and hey, great name!). It's got subtlety and class; its roastiness is right on the money while its deeper traits emerge slowly and politely. Still has the vinous and chocolate qualities from the nose, and some other dark fruits (fig, date) but these are merely supporting characteristics. It's really about the perfect roasty-toasty hot breakfast cereal vibe that is the centerpiece of this beer.

Feels soft and smooth, for the most part, while the carbonation is probably a little more pronounced than expected, considering the "velvet" in the name of this beer.

Velvet Merlin has a really satisfying, comforting kind of personality. It's a case of every ingredient working in harmony, everything balanced out perfectly. (1,088 characters)

Giving this brewery another shot. I was thoroughly disappointed by the Double Barrel.

Pours dark, but when held up to a light, it's very very dark brown. Darkest brown I have ever seen, but not quite black. Interesting. Vigorous pour yielded a 1cm light brown head, which dissipated in no time. I give the lacing about a B- so far.

Lots of chocolate on the nose. Coffee appears later as it warms up. Some roasted malts as well.

Chocolatey taste. Bitter chocolate, just a hint of chalk. with some malts in there, hint of dark fruit as an after taste. Well balanced and tasty.

Pretty thick beer for 5.5%. Carbonation is pretty spot on for the style. Definitely wouldn't go any higher, but a little less wouldn't hurt.

12 ounce bottle received in a trade with RichBeer. Thanks Rich! Poured into a pint glass, two fingers of frothy tan head mounts a brew that's just a couple of shades from black. Head retention is good and heavy lacing lines the glass.

Pleasant aromas of chocolate and roasted malt waft off the brew, as well as the faint scent of coffee. There's also the distant notion of floral hops on the nose.

Sweet roasted malt leads the flavor profile. There is a strange but pleasant snap pea flavor that sounds strange but actually works. A little caramelized sugar lines the palate. The finish is dark chocolate with a lingering earthy aftertaste. Chocolate becomes more apparent as the brew warms. Alcohol is not perceived. It's a pretty straightforward brew, but well done none the less.

The mouthfeel is well-balanced. It's substantial but not too thick. The carbonation level is on the high end of medium and helps this stout seem lighter than it is.

All of this adds up to an oatmeal stout that is pretty drinkable. It has enough flavor and body to satisfy the stout lover in me without overwhelming me in any category. The 5.5% ABV is well hidden but it's a bitter enough brew that you're probably not going to drink them too fast. I could drink a couple of them back to back with relative ease. In a scene where it seems like brewers are trying to out-stout each other, Velvet Merlin is a pleasantly sturdy brew and a nice change of pace.

The Two Schlitz Scale: (see my profile for an explanation)I give a solid Schlitz for this stout. I'd revisit Velvet Merlin. (1,568 characters)

T: I can definitely get a nice roasted coffee right off the bat. A very light bitter, but also a light sweet that balance each other out to the point where you notice them, but you almost don't. The finish is a bit bittersweet. The flavors are lighter than I expected, and there is a quality to it that reminds me of drinking a glass of milk.

M: Crisp but not carbonated. Creamy with a medium thin mouthfeel. It looks like it would be a thicker beer, and from the name I just assumed it would be, but it's not. It has a drier finish.

D: It's a nice beer, very drinkable, but not my all time favorite. I would drink it again though, but wouldn't seek it out. (992 characters)